50/50 Friday is a meme hosted by Carrie @The Butterfly Reads and I and focuses on the opposite sides of books (best/worst, differing opinions, etc). Every week will have a new topic and several advance topics will be listed in the tab labeled 50/50 Friday!
Today's Topic: Favorite Book Set in Winter/Summer
Winter:
Miso Cozy Mysteries #2
Blurb:
"December has set in and just when the rural town of Chikata is recovering from one murder, Mei and her new boyfriend, Yasahiro, find their friend, Etsuko, dead in her apartment. Etsuko was sweet and talented, and now everyone suspects her longtime boyfriend killed her. Mei doesn’t believe it, though, and she vows to help solve the crime.
But Mei has more to think about than murder. With the barn gone and their vegetable stores destroyed, she and her mother are down to their last canned goods and no money for heat. Mei’s mom is fortunate to find work, but Mei must fend for herself, get a job, and keep their financial situation a secret from Yasahiro. In pursuit of paying work, she stumbles onto a new witness to the crime, and before long, the dead woman's secret life unravels before everyone’s eyes. Half-starving and out of her element, Mei is on thin ice, and it’s going to take a whole lot of ingenuity and quick thinking to solve the crime before the killer gets to her as well."
But Mei has more to think about than murder. With the barn gone and their vegetable stores destroyed, she and her mother are down to their last canned goods and no money for heat. Mei’s mom is fortunate to find work, but Mei must fend for herself, get a job, and keep their financial situation a secret from Yasahiro. In pursuit of paying work, she stumbles onto a new witness to the crime, and before long, the dead woman's secret life unravels before everyone’s eyes. Half-starving and out of her element, Mei is on thin ice, and it’s going to take a whole lot of ingenuity and quick thinking to solve the crime before the killer gets to her as well."
As I mentioned in the past couple 50/50 Friday's, I haven't exactly read that many books set in winter for some odd reason. A lot of the books I read span years (thereby spanning multiple seasons) or they take place during the summer (hello fluffy contemporaries!). So when I thought of my favorite winter book, this one came to mind. I love this mystery series (I'm two books in). It's really cool to be immersed in a different culture and watch Mei, an adorable MC, solve a murder. If you're looking for a cozy winter mystery, this is your book!
Summer:
Standalone to date
Blurb:
"A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.
Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE."
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.
Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE."
Conversely, when I think of my favorite book set in summer, We Were Liars immediately jumps to mind. I read it a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it and as such, I periodically reread it. It was my first introduction to the read end-twist that a lot of mystery and thriller authors utilize and I loved it! The summer atmosphere is also to die for.
Next Week's Topic: Best/Worst Book Read in January
I don’t blame you. Books that take place in the summer are much more preferable than those pesky winter books. ;) can you tell I’m freezing?
ReplyDeleteHaha there's definitely that perception out there! Personally, I'm partial to winter (but don't worry, I'm sending warm thoughts your way!) but I never seem to read any wintery books... It's the strangest thing. Thanks for stopping by, Jenny!
DeleteThe Daydreamer Detective Braves Winter sounds super good!!
ReplyDeleteIt really is! It's best if you read the first book first but honestly it's so worth it. I hadn't read any cozy mysteries before that series and I was missing so much! Thanks for stopping by, Dani!
DeleteI haven't read either of these, but do have We Were Lairs in my wish list. Your winter book sounds really good too! I love that cover. I will have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteI'm such a sucker for covers; the cover was like 70% of why I wanted to read it, as sad as that sounds. Thanks for stopping by, Wendy!
DeleteS J Pajonas looks like an interesting author to discover. I hadn't heard of her/him before, but love Japanese and Japanese-influenced wtiting so will investigate further.
ReplyDeleteFor my 50/50 I'd recommend The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey for winter and Burnt Land by Tua Harno for summer.
I hadn't either until she contacted me for a review of her first book and lo and behold, I found a new favorite author! I'm also immediately interested in anything that portrays a different culture without that being the focal point (a story just being set in another country instead of a sort of narrative about what the country is like). You always have such good recommendations, Stephanie! I've only read one boo that takes place in Alaska like The Snow Child and I haven't read any from Australia like Burnt Land so they're definitely going on my TBR! I'm really hoping to diversify my reading this year with settings. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteOh I loved We Were Liars so much - it was such a good read, surprising, captivating, and that plot twist at the end... I did not see that coming at all, which made me love it even more! <3 <3
ReplyDeleteRight?? I made the mistake of reading the ending in public and I could not stop crying! I need to reread it asap. Thanks for stopping by, Marie!
DeleteI still haven't read We Were Liars. I really need too. It sounds good.
ReplyDeleteIt is! If you have time, I'd definitely recommend it :) Thanks for stopping by, Carrie!
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